Well guys, I know it's been a long time since my last blog post, mainly because life has been crazy lately. I haven't had too much to report, but I finally hit level 40 and I figured that was something to write home about after 7 long years with GS lol. I'll probably need to get a new job soon thanks to a large multi-national merger, which is annoying but oh well - such is life. I imagine that will keep my rantings on here to a minimum.

How has everybody been anyway? I miss many of you :(

Well, I finally got to level 39 - MAX FORCE! I seem to have taken that final plunge towards level 40 that has taken me much longer than it should have... but what can you do? haha.

I'm still not very close to my 10k post party, but maybe I can somehow accumulate 2800 posts in the next month lol.

Anyway - a pretty pointless blog by me. I'm still waiting for my emblem and profile points for the Top 10 spookiest villains activity... everybody's forgotten about it :(.

How is everybody anyway?

Love Ray xox

Well, since another great blog-themed activity has begun, I thought I'd partake!

Here are my top 10 spookiest video game villains of all time! Now they're not exactly in a particular order, but they kind of are. Ugh - confusing much!?

10. Necromorphs (Dead Space)

These kings basically stopped me from playing Dead Space. Walking along a creepy, metalic coridoors only to be lept upon by one of these things out of nowhere scared the crap out of me. Also, knowing that I had to dismember them to kill them didn't help... each encounter was a thrilling fright.

9. Zombie (Resident Evil series)

This is where a lot of it started for me. When I was about 10, I started played Resident Evil and was introduced to the world of video game zombies. He might look like he's here to protect and serve, but this groaning, shuffling flesh heap just wants to eat my brains. I've had many a nightmare where I'm running away from RE's walking dead.

8. Adam Crowley (Nightmare Creatures)

Now... if there was one game villain that immediately gave me the creeps, it was Adam Crowley from Nightmare Creatures. Everything about him is just spooky, from the way he crackles and talks, to the way he does bizare experiments on corpses and living things alike.

7. Freaky Nurses (Silent Hill)

These things are freeaaaaky. With their rusted poles and lop-sided walk/shuffle, these broads were probably hot before they turned into.... well whatever they are. If walking through the hospital in Silent Hill wasn't scary enough, having the sound of children and seeing this creepy nurses coming at me was enough to make me freak... a little bit.

6. Alma (F.E.A.R series)

The film The Ring, is one I consider to be really freaky... mainly because nothing scares me more than a psychotic little girl who just stands there looking at you and looks scary as hell in the process. F.E.A.R thought it would be a good idea to add stalking to the mix, which made sure my playthrough was memorable, albeit just because Alma kept the adrenaline pumping... I hate freaky children!

5. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3)

Another villain from Resident Evil, but that's because it was my bread and butter when it came to video game scares. Nemesis, yet another biological weapon created by the Umbrella Corporation in RE 3, was definitely a spooky one for me. His trademark "STARS!" growl still makes me sit uneasy, and walking down a coridoor only to hear the eerie motif that was an umistakable indication that Nemesis was going to pop out somewhere still frightens the crap out of me.

4. Berserker (Gears of War series)

Now these things are both ugly and scary as hell. Berserkers are blind and seek you out by sniffing the air to try and pick up your scent. I always got freaked out when they caught a whiff and went running at pull pace in my general direction. They always get the adrenaline pumping and provide this sense of fear and urgency few other enemies still provide today. Did I also mention they're also bloody ugly!?

3. Mr X. aka. Tyrant T-103 (Resident Evil 2)

My final Resident Evil entry - Mr X. was the first boss in video games to have me scared in anticipation of his appearence. He didn't even need to be on screen and I felt a sense of fear and urgency to get as far away from him as possible. Like Nemesis from RE3, he comes out of nowhere to complete his mission and kill you, the player, in the process. He also bursts through walls, randomly walks through doors, and ensures that he causes a fright in the process. He is silent, and all you have to know he's there is the stead thumping of his heavy footsteps... just hearing them always made me freak a little bit. You could walk in a room, hear no music, and just get a THUMP... THUMP... THUMP... and I KNEW Mr. X was there, ready to scare my pants off!

2. Tank (Left 4 Dead)

The infamous tank from Left 4 Dead is definitely one of the scariest villains for me. As you can probably tell from my list, it's the fear of some huge, ugly monstor, stomping around chasing me that gets the heart beating a bit faster. Again, the sense of urgency to run away from this monstrosity is poignant. Everything from the heavy grunting before he appears, to the musical motif that plays when he stomps his way in our direction, sends players running for the hills. He's big, he's bad, and he's scary! Beware, because he WILL beat you to a pulp.

1. Witch (Left 4 Dead)

The first time I played Left 4 Dead and heard a girl crying, I was frantically looking around trying to see what it was, thinking "omg wtf, that sounds way too creepy". This sexy little vixen sits and weeps, drawing the unknowing survivor sympathetically towards her tormented cries, only to suddenly get angry, growl, and hop up running towards you screaming like a banshee, slashing at her victims face and immediately taking them to the ground. This can be avoided if you turn off your flashlight and walk around her, slowly (while crouched), but to the unsuspecting noob, which I was when I started playing, this crazy b**** made my heart jump in my throat!

Just another pointless update from Ray pertaining to the nearly-reached goal of level 40. I'm still taking my bloody time when it comes to my 10k post party, but every little helps.

I'm strangely excited :)

Well, I've been very busy this last couple of months and so haven't had much time to jump on GS. However, I've finally gotten past level 36 which seemed to take forever!

Now onto my next mission, which is level 38, and 10k posts! ^_^

Ugh, I'm pretty bummed out by this, I was really looking forward to sinking my teeth into the final installment. Alas, I must wait, and dream about what could have been.

In the mean time, 2011 is still shaping up to be an awesome year for gaming.

One game I can't wait for, which is only a couple of weeks away, is this potential masterpiece:

L.A. Noire looks fantastic, and I can't wait to take it for a spin. The facial animations still make my jaw drop in awe.

Another one I'm really keen for, despite still having not finished Oblivion, is:

I'm going to aim to have Oblivion finished by November, as I slowly grind my way through a new game (I got over my old one). Skyrim looks like it's gonna be awesome - and dragons are always a good thing.

Last, but not least, the next installment of what was one of my favourite franchises:

I spent countless hours playing 1942 and BF2, and the first looks at the PC version of the next officially-numbered game blew my mind. I can't wait for this one!

What games are you guys looking forward to in the remainder of 2011?

Hey guys,

Well it's been a long time since I've blogged, but I figured society could handle my brief abstinence while I concentrated a bit more on... well... I wanna say work, but that would be a lie.

Anyway, I hit 6,000 posts this week - yet another milestone for me. In fact, every 1,000 posts will be a milestone until I finally get my 10k post party, at which point I'll refrain from making you guys read stupid posts about insignificant achievements :P.

Also in the news today, I should be level 36 in the next couple of days which is nice. I've been on 35 for what feels like an eternity, and another milestone for me will be level 40. Yep, after almost 6 years as a GS member, it can be confirmed that I'm a bit slow off the mark. It's taken me a long time to get these silly milestones :(.

Yes, the picture is ironic because I'm openly atheist, but it's Friday and it's awesome! Work is nearly finished for me, just another 90 minutes or so to go. I'll be off for some delicious beers soon with some mates and my lovely girlfriend. I love Fridays, and I love long weekends even more. I have a five-day weekend next week due to Easter and the ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) Day holiday! SWEET! :D.

I FINALLY OPENED LBP2!!!

Yep, I bought it in January for $60 Australian (which is awesome for a new release - most are about $110 - $120 here!) but I promised my girlfriend I wouldn't open it until I saw her again. We played and finished LBP1 together, so it's kind of "our" thing. So, due to the fact that we have a long-distance relationship, she's back in Melbourne for the first time since early January, which means I finally got to open the game and play it with her. So far it's pretty awesome and I'm lovin' the new tweaks and game modes that Media Molecule threw in!

ANYWAY!

How have you all been this week? What are your plans for the weekend? I want the goss!

Share an amazing beer with me?

Well, Autumn started last week, and already I have a cold :(. I hate the pinch in your nose that makes your eyes water, and the pain your nose feels after copious amounts of blowing it - it's already bleeding a little bit!

Despite my pre-winter blues, I take solace fromt he fact that it's Friday, and because of the cooler weather, I can really get back into drinking the thick, rich, dark, chocolatey, and roasty beers i love drinking so much! :)

So I'm going to fight through this dastardly annoying cold and soldier on until the evening comes, at which point I'm off to buy some delicious winter warmers - perhaps even some of the following:

Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel (Imperial Stout) --- Amager Imperial Stout

Southern Tier Mokah (Imperial Coffee Stout) --- Nøgne Ø Andhrimnir (Barleywine)

Have a great weekend everyone! :D

Well, it's only taken me 5 years and and 9 months to reach 5,000 posts and to hit level 35 - quick and easy... (/sarcasm).

I still blame that ghastly Metal Slime bug (Level 20) that caused me to stay on level 20 for more than a year... barely moving up 1% every two or three days, if that :x. I should easily be in the 40s right now... but what can I do?

Aside from the joy that is level 35, it's also Friday, and it couldn't have come soon enough. This week has been dragging on for soooooooo long, and now some respite is in sight. I intend to go to one of my favourite craft beer bottleshops after work to grab me some mouthwatering IPAs (India Pale Ale) and a nice imperial stout or two!

I'll be looking out for the Hop Stoopid and the Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout :D

Happy Friday everybody! ^_^

Although it's a day late, I thought I'd post a quick blog to celebrate the achievement of my 5,000th post!!! I've been here since May 2005 (at least with an account) and I've only made it to 5,000. I feel ashamed that it's taken so long, but at the same time excited that I'm half way there. I'll get to 10k soon, hopefully ^_^.

I'm not going to throw a blog party - obviously it's not really worth celebrating. But it's my own little personal achievement, so I thought I'd mention it :oops: